Paris Couleurs. Gérard Ifert, Ektachromes 1953–1954
Paris Couleurs. Gérard Ifert, Ektachromes 1953–1954 presents the photographic work of Swiss-French designer, artist and scenographer Gérard Ifert (1929–2020). His photographs are a collection of shop fronts, taken frontally, in order to show how their compositions echo concrete paintings. The book opens with an essay by French art historian and graphic design critic Catherine de Smet, giving context to these “ektachromes”.
The designers from deValence used Mars Condensed as a title typeface in a large size throughout the book. Its tall height matches well with the rounded shapes and tightness of LL Grey. The verticality of Mars Condensed and its vernacular inspirations echo the colorful Parisian shopfronts showed in the photographs, adding much to the feeling of wandering through a mid-century Paris.
The catalog was published by Éditions B42 in a bilingual edition, with texts in French and English.
